A Cowessess First Nation elder is recalling the abusive and dehumanizing experiences she had while attending a residential school in Saskatchewan as news of the hundreds of unmarked graves found at the site rippled around the world.
Florence Sparvier, 80, said Thursday that she spent time at the Marieval Indian Residential School when she was a child.
“They made us believe we didn’t have souls,” said Sparvier, who is a knowledge keeper at Cowessess.
“They were putting us down as a people, so we learned how not to like who we were.”
She said she was taken to the school by her parents.
“At that time, if the parents didn’t want to allow their children to go to boarding school, one of them had to go to jail. So in order to keep the family together, we went to boarding school.”
On Thursday, Cowessess First Nation announced that ground-penetrating radar had detected 715 unmarked graves at the Marieval site. Last month, a First Nation in British Columbia said radar had found what are believed to be the remains of 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
Sparvier was the third generation of her family to go to the Marieval school, after her mother and her grandmother. She also attended the Lebret Indian Industrial Residential School.
She said the nuns at the Marieval school worked to strip students of their Indigenous knowledge and identity.
“We learned,” she said. “They pounded it into us. And really, they were very mean. When I say pounding, I mean pounding.”
The school, about 160 kilometres east of Regina, was built in 1899 by Roman Catholic missionaries. It closed in 1996.
“We had to learn to be a Roman Catholic,” Sparvier said. “We couldn’t say our own little blessings the way we said it at home.
“We had our own way of honouring ourselves and Mother Earth in our own homes when we were little, but we had to leave all that.”
Sparvier said the teachers at the residential school were “very condemning” about First Nations people.
Eagleclaw Thom in Ottawa said he cried on the phone with family members as they shared stories of attending Marieval and other residential schools.
Thom, who is from Sakimay First Nation, which borders Cowessess, did not attend Marieval but his father and paternal grandparents did.
To really honour those who lost their childhoods or their lives at the school, he said, action needs to be taken to ensure Indigenous children are now supported, too.
“They are still jailing our kids,” he said.
Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations described the residential school system as “a crime against humanity, an assault on First Nations people.”
The federation represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.
“The only crime we ever committed as children was being born Indigenous,” he said.
Toronto police are launching a one-year pilot project which will see some 911 calls diverted to a community-based crisis response centre.
The Gerstein Crisis Centre, a well established 24-hour mental health service, will work with police to try and divert as many of the mental health calls as possible away from an armed police response.
Under the pilot project, call-takers in the Toronto police communications call centre will evaluate incoming calls and determine if a crisis worker is better suited to handling the situation rather than a police response. The crisis worker would be able to provide immediate support and intervention, referrals and connection to further services as needed.
Should the call require a police response – such as one that involves weapons, an imminent threat to life or domestic violence – the crisis worker would be able to assist in trying to de-escalate the situation until police and/or a Mobile Crisis Intervention Team arrive on scene.
The death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet in May of 2020 escalated calls to reform how police respond to a mental health crisis. The 29-year-old fell to her death from her apartment balcony while police were on scene responding to a 911 call for help. The province’s Special Investigations Unit cleared Toronto police of any criminal wrongdoing in her death.
“This collaboration with Gerstein Crisis Centre supports our mutual goal of a fast, effective and compassionate response for people experiencing a mental health related crisis in our community,” said Deputy Chief Peter Yuen. “This pilot project is one of several ways TPS is addressing an appeal from the mental health community to explore alternative models of mental health crisis response.”
The pilot project is scheduled to begin late summer in the downtown neighbourhoods within 14, 51 and 52 Divisions. It is part of 81 recommendations on police reform accepted last year which called for the development of alternative models of community safety response for mental health calls.
The Montreal Canadiens have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 28 years after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night.
Artturi Lehkonen scored the game winner at 1:39 of the extra period. Cole Caufield and Shea Webber had the other goals for Montreal.
Montreal, who qualified for the post-season with the fewest points of any of the playoff teams, won the best-of-seven series 4-games-2.
It marks the first time since 1993 that the Canadiens have advanced to the final. That was also the last time they won the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens, who improved to 5-1 in OT in these playoffs, are set to meet either the Tampa Bay Lightning or New York Islanders in the final. That semifinal matchup sits tied 3-3 with Game 7 set for Friday in Tampa.
The frustrated Golden Knights finished the regular season second in the NHL’s overall standings – 23 points ahead of the 18th-ranked Canadiens – but much like the heavily favoured Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets before them, had no answer for a relentless opponent that’s spent much of the last two months confounding the hockey world.
Thursday was Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in Quebec, and there was more to celebrate than usual as the Canadiens will now look to bring the sport’s Holy Grail back over the border after Vancouver (1994 and 2011), Calgary (2004), Edmonton (2006) and Ottawa (2007) all fell short in the final since Montreal’s triumph 28 years ago.
With similarities to the team’s memorable run in the spring of 1993 – an underdog not expected to challenge the big boys – Montreal is into its NHL-record 33rd final since 1917-18 and will be looking to add to its league-topping 24 Cup banners.
The Canadiens clinched a berth in the title series on home ice for the seventh time since the league expanded in 1966-67, and the first since defeating the Islanders in Game 5 at the Montreal Forum on May 24, 1993.
Montreal advanced to the Eastern Conference final in both 2010 and 2014, but lost out to the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers, respectively.
Ontario will enter Step 2 of the province’s three-step COVID-19 reopening plan on June 30, sources tell 680NEWS.
An official announcement from the government is expected on Thursday.
The move will mean barbers and salons will be able to open next Wednesday, two days earlier than expected. Capacity limits for retail stores and patios are also expected to expand.
Outdoor gathering capacity will increase to 25 people while indoor gatherings will be allowed with up to five people.
Step 2 required 70 per cent of adults with one dose and 20 per cent fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
As of Wednesday, 76 per cent of Ontario adults have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and roughly 27 per cent are now fully vaccinated.
That vaccination rate matches the 70 to 80 per cent that is outlined for Step 3 of the reopening plan.
Premier Doug Ford had previously hinted that he would like to move to Step 2 a little bit sooner than originally planned.
There are 255 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario today and 11 more deaths linked to the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said there are 57 new cases in Toronto, 53 in the Region of Waterloo, and 25 in Peel Region.
Editor’s note: This article contains some disturbing details about experiences at residential schools in Canada and may be upsetting to some readers. For those in need of emotional support, the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available at 1-866-925-4419.
The Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan says they have uncovered the “horrific and shocking discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves” at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School.
In a release, they say the number of graves is the most “significantly substantial to date in Canada.”
A press conference will be held on Thursday to reveal the details of the findings.
Perry Bellegarde, the chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said in a tweet late Wednesday that the finding at Cowessess is “absolutely tragic, but not surprising.”
“I urge all Canadians to stand with First Nations in this extremely difficult and emotional time.”
The discovery comes soon after another mass grave was unearthed by the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation at the former Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia last month.
The remains of 215 children, some as young as three years old, were found buried on the school grounds – once the largest in Canada’s residential school system.
Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation said at the time the discovery was an “unthinkable loss that was spoken about but never documented at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.”
The federal government has since offered $27 million in funding for all First Nations communities to help identify and investigate marked and unmarked burial grounds near residential schools.
Ontario has committed $10 million and Alberta $8 million for Indigenous communities to locate and investigate grounds surrounding residential schools in those provinces. Manitoba has also announced $2.5 million in funding to identify and commemorate burial sites at residential schools in the province.
The Quebec and federal governments have announced a plan for a central place for the province’s Indigenous communities to go for support over former residential schools.
Toronto police are looking for a man who allegedly assaulted a store employee over a mask dispute, leaving him with the possibility of life-altering injuries.
Investigators say the incident took place at a drug store in the area of Yonge and Carlton Street just before 5 p.m. on June 17.
The interaction took place inside the store between a man and an employee about the man’s face mask. The suspect reportedly became agitated and was escorted from the store.
When they were outside, police say the man punched one of the store employees and then stomped on his head with his feet.
The employee was taken to hospital where he remains in serious condition, with the possibility of life-altering injuries.
Police say the suspect is described as six foot to six foot two inches with a muscular build. He was dressed in all black clothing, wearing a blue face mask, white do-rag on his head and carrying a black and brown bag.
Investigators are urging the man to contact police immediately.
A partial building collapse in Miami caused a massive response early Thursday from Miami Dade Fire Rescue, according to a tweet from the department’s account.
“Over 80 MDFR units including #TRT (Technical Rescue Teams) are on scene with assistance from municipal fire departments,” the tweet said.
Miami Dade Fire Rescue is conducting search and rescue. Authorities had no word yet on casualties, or details of how many people lived in the building.
Police blocked nearby roads, and scores of fire and rescue vehicles, ambulances and police cars swarmed the area.
“We’re on the scene so it’s still very active,” said Sgt. Marian Cruz of Miami Dade Fire Rescue. “What I can tell you is the building is twelve floors. The entire back side of the building has collapsed.”
Photos and video from the scene show that the collapse affected half the tower. Piles of rubble and debris surrounded the area just outside the building. The department has yet to say what may have caused the collapse near 88th Street and Collins Avenue.
According to the Miami Herald, the 12-story condo tower, part of Champlain Towers, is an oceanside condo built in 1981 with more than 100 units.
The area is a mix of new and old apartments, houses, condominiums and hotels, with restaurants and stores serving an international combination of residents and tourists. The community provides a stark contrast from bustle and glitz of South Beach with a slower paced neighborhood feel.
Killer rapist Paul Bernardo has been denied parole again.
Two officers with the Parole Board of Canada took about an hour to reject his release application on Tuesday.
Their decision came after Bernardo said he was a changed person who now has his sexual deviancy under control.
Earlier in the day, the families of the victims read heart-wrenching statements at the serial killer’s parole hearing, explaining how the hearing process is akin to reliving the nightmares Bernardo inflicted on their families.
Bernardo’s horrific crimes in the 1980s and early 1990s include kidnapping, torturing and killing Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy near St. Catharines, Ont.
At his last parole hearing in October 2018, it took just 30 minutes for the Parole Board of Canada to reject his release.
In their statement, French’s parents, Doug and Donna, called Bernardo a “psychopath” who must “never be allowed in a position where he can repeat his atrocities.”
“We cannot think of anything that would be worse than the years of pain and suffering that we have endured as a result of the heinous crimes Paul Bernardo committed against Kristen, than Paul Bernardo being released back into the community when we know, as sure as night follows day, that he will commit more heinous crimes against other beautiful young, innocent children.”
“For those who say that time heals, they don’t know the excruciating pain that comes from such a horrific loss. Time doesn’t heal the pain; the pain is a life sentence.”
“We are an extremely blessed family that enjoyed all sorts of family fun, but now it is like there is a dark cloud always hanging over us.”
Mahaffy’s family said: “Memories of that horrendous time are just as vivid today as they were then. There is no escape for us from this horror.”
“Since the last Parole Hearing in October 2018, we have tried to forget about this dangerous offender’s existence and enjoy and remember everything about Leslie’s short and precious life. Yet once again, Bernardo’s desires are inflicted on us as he inserts himself into our lives again, forcing his horrors and terrifying memories upon us.”
“What does resting in peace mean when we have to relive these horrors every two or so years for the rest of our lives?
“This unnecessary re-victimization must stop.”
Bernardo is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault among other offences.
The designated dangerous offender has been eligible for full parole for more than three years.
Toronto police have arrested a second man in connection to a gunfight at a child’s birthday party in Rexdale that injured three children, one critically.
Police say Kevin George, 21 of Toronto, is facing four counts of aggravated assault as well as numerous gun charges.
On Monday, police announced their first arrest in the investigation. Twenty-four-year-old Demar Cadogan, who was the lone adult injured in the incident, was arrested and is now facing four gun charges including discharge firearm with intent. Cadogan remains in hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg.
Police allege George and Cadogan became involved in an argument at the party, and began shooting at each other. Toronto police Chief James Ramer said investigators believe others starting shooting as well. “We will be arresting all of you,” Ramer vowed.
Ramer couldn’t say how many suspects were being sought.
“What I know is there was an argument and they started to exchange gunfire, which to any common sense person is absurd,” Ramer added.
“It makes me very angry. It’s very traumatic.”
In an update Monday, police said two of the children injured in the gunfire have been released from hospital while a five-year-old girl remains in critical condition.
Emergency crews were called to a home in Rexdale around 8 p.m. Saturday for a shooting at a birthday for a one-year-old boy.
According to police, the boy was grazed by a bullet while an 11-year-old boy was shot in the buttocks.
The brazen shooting outraged local politicians.
Premier Doug Ford called the shooting “inconceivable and beyond comprehension,” adding the “perpetrators must be found and brought to justice.”
Mayor John Tory issued a statement Sunday morning saying firing a gun in Toronto is unacceptable “anywhere anytime,” but “doing so at a child’s birthday party goes way beyond that.”
Veteran police Superintendent Ron Taverner called it “one of the most disturbing scenes” he’s seen in his long career.
“It’s disgusting,” Taverner said Sunday. “As much as this is a horrific, horrific situation, it could have been worse. There could be three dead children.”
Emmalyn, who attended the party with her son, said the ramifications of the violence will be long-lasting.
“These kids are going to remember this. It’s summertime, these kids are supposed to be eating ice cream, playing games. I’m lost for words because I don’t know what to say.”
“To know that you were here, you seen the atmosphere and know that 80 per cent of the people that were here were children. Your heartless, your cold, bottom line.”
The Detroit Pistons did a lot of losing this season, finishing with the second-worst record in the NBA and the franchise’s worst record in nearly 30 years.
It paid off.
The Pistons won the NBA draft lottery on Tuesday night, grabbing the No. 1 pick in the July 29 draft and presumably the chance to select Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham. If the Pistons keep the pick, it’ll be the first time they select No. 1 overall since taking Bob Lanier in 1970.
Houston will pick second, Cleveland will pick third, and Toronto will pick fourth. Orlando will get the No. 5 and No. 8 selections, with Oklahoma City picking No. 6 and Golden State also with two lottery slots – No. 7, as part of a trade with Minnesota, and the Warriors’ own pick at No. 14.
The rest of the lottery results: Sacramento picks No. 9, New Orleans No. 10, Charlotte No. 11, San Antonio at No. 12, and Indiana at No. 13.
The Raptors, who had the seventh best chance at winning the lottery, had a rough season. Forced to play out of Tampa, Fla., due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, and hit hard by an outbreak of the virus in March, they finished 27-45 and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
They had a 7.5% chance of landing the No. 1 pick. Point guard Fred VanVleet represented Toronto – virtually – at the event.
The Raptors have had the No. 4 pick twice before. In 1998, they picked Antawn Jamison and traded to Golden State for Vince Carter, who went No. 5. And in 2003, they selected Chris Bosh.
The lottery – 14 ping-pong balls, all numbered 1 through 14, placed into a hopper – technically only determines the first four picks. The rest then default to a pre-established order of finish; Golden State, for example, had only a 2.4% chance of its own pick being anything other than the No. 14 selection.
And form held through the first six picks that were unveiled. The No. 8 pick, which was slotted to go to Chicago, winds up with the Magic as part of the Nikola Vucevic trade from this season. That’s when the first significant buck-the-odds move happened, when Toronto’s 31.9% chance of cashing into a top-four slot delivered.
The Thunder will have three first-round picks, but none higher than No. 6.
The Rockets had a 52% chance of winning a top-four pick – which meant it was basically even money.
The worst Houston could do was the No. 5 selection, and that truly was a worst-case scenario because if the Rockets were outside of the top four the pick would convey to Oklahoma City as part of the compensation for the Russell Westbrook trade between those teams in 2019.
But they held on, getting the No. 2 pick as one of the building blocks they can use to reload after finishing with the NBA’s worst record this season.
The consensus opinion has been that the No. 1 pick will be either a one-and-done college player – Cunningham, Southern California center Evan Mosley or Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs – or someone from the G-League development program like guard Jalen Green or forward Jonathan Kuminga.
And, as always, it’ll be a guessing game: Most of the players expected to be lottery picks are teenagers, mostly 19, some 18.
The rest of the first round, for now, is slotted this way – Washington will pick 15th, followed by Oklahoma City, Memphis, Oklahoma City, New York, Atlanta, New York, the Los Angeles Lakers, then Houston at both No. 23 and No. 24, followed by the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Utah.
